A wide-ranging, accessible and contemporary textbook capturing the narrative of comparative politics and its changing nature in the rapidly transforming world.

Comparative Government and Politics introduces students to the tradition of comparative political research and explores the central ideas and questions that constitute the field. This textbook, written in close consultation with the syllabus and course curriculums of major Indian universities, indulges in critical thematic exploration as well as detailed study of important political institutions and their functioning in comparative perspective. Instead of just summarizing European scholarly works with examples from the West, the book centralizes the experiences and case studies from postcolonial societies, making it relatable for the students of developing countries. It covers contemporary global debates pertinent to each topic and brings up important cases from the Global South as well.

Key Features:

• Discussions incorporate the intersectionality of gender, race and ethnicity

• Chapters begin with a Reader’s Guide feature to lay out the objective, structure and brief introduction of the chapter content

• Content is aided by book-end glossary, list of keywords and review questions for self-assessment

Madhulika Banerjee

Foreword by

Preface

Acknowledgements

SECTION I: INTRODUCTION TO COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Pushpa Singh

Introduction: Understanding Comparative Politics

Anusha and Shefali Manhas

Challenges to Comparative Government and Politics

Skylab Sahu

Capitalism: Origin, Growth and Evolution

Pushpa Singh and Chetna Sharma

Socialism: Meaning, Growth and Development

Ruchi Shree and Pushpa Singh

Colonialism in Comparative Perspective: Forms and Dimensions

Rohit Raj

Decolonization

Tripta Sharma

Brazil: Tracing the Constitutional Development and Political Economy

Praveen Dhanda

Nigeria: The Troubled Giant of Africa

Rityusha Mani Tiwary and Shivani Sharma

China’s Constitutional Development and Political Economy Since 1949: Perspectives and Trends

Shivali Aggarwal

Britain: Constitutional Development and Political Economy

SECTION II: POLITICAL PROCESSES AND INSTITUTIONS IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE

Skylab Sahu

Approaches to the Study of Comparative Politics

Pushpa Singh

Political Representation, Voting and Electoral Systems in Comparative Perspective

Babita Verma

Party and Party Systems

Chetna Sharma

Nation State: Historical Evolution in Western Europe and Postcolonial Contexts

Chetna Sharma

Process of Democratization in Postcolonial, Postauthoritarian and Postcommunist countries